Abnormal Psychology

All-Gender Course; Prerequisite - Completion of one year of high school social studies; Fall semester or Full-year course
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Abnormal Psychology begins with an overview of human behavior, and then introduces students to various psychological disorders, as well as the theoretical concepts that underlie each one. Students explore theoretical, clinical and experimental perspectives on the study of psychopathology. Students learn terminology, classification, etiology, assessment and treatment of each of the major disorders.  Upon completion of this course, the students are able to distinguish between normal and abnormal patterns of behavior.  This course features discussions, partner and group projects, and other activities that help students to recognize the ways that abnormal psychology manifests in the real world. The class is designed for eleventh and twelfth graders and may be appropriate for mature tenth graders. 
WHAT STUDENTS SAY

"Ms. Frye is the absolute best! She's been very flexible and accommodating."

“Overall, I really enjoyed this class. It was really interesting to learn how to manage an online class. Another reason I liked it was because we weren't just assigned readings and quizzed on it. I liked being able to choose my own pathways, and learn through group work or mock situations. I also enjoyed doing some of the optional activities at the end of each week, and I always looked forward to studying the next topic knowing that even if there was a lot of work, I would have some fun in completing it."
​
"Overall, this class has been my favorite in all of my high school career. I loved every minute of it and really found myself engaged in the material."

WHAT STUDENTS DO
Learning is an active process at One Schoolhouse. Students design, create and apply. And, they engage with classmates and connect with their teachers through discussions, video conferences, and projects. Specifically, in this class students will:
  • Set goals that drive their learning. Students reflect regularly on their growth, and meet on video chat with their online teacher to review progress towards their goals.
  • Have choice in how they learn new content and practice new skills. Students are given agency to determine the best ways for them to learn.
  • Apply what they are learning to the real world. Learning is meaningful and connects to concepts outside the classroom.
  • Practice constructive engagement in a diverse and changing world. Students interact with classmates from across the country and around the world.
  • Gain academic maturity. Online learning takes greater discipline and independence than a traditional face-to-face classroom. Teachers support students to build this skill.
MEET A TEACHER FOR THIS COURSE
SIGNATURE ACTIVITIES
Examples of signature activities and projects for this course are:
  • Case studies - To increase critical thinking, case studies are assigned throughout the course. They include reading a vignette about an individual struggling with various mental health symptoms and a response to questions ranging from diagnosis to treatment options.
  • Podcast project - For the final assessment of the semester, students create their own Podcast episode on the topic of any disorder of their choice. The key to this assignment is finding a topic that is intrinsically interesting to the student and that they can speak passionately about. It can range from a discussion with someone about mental health or research about a favorite topic in abnormal psychology.
  • Thought papers will be assigned throughout the semester, and will consist of locating a recent event, news article, or peer-reviewed journal article, or personal experience and incorporating it into a two-page (double-spaced) discussion of a topic we have previously discussed. These papers are designed to help synthesize the material covered in the course with real-life application and to deepen understanding of the concepts in general.​
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE SECOND SEMESTER?
Students wishing to pursue a psychology project may enroll in the course for the full year.  For students continuing into Semester II, the course shifts into personalized, project-based work, where students engage in deep, sustained inquiry, authentic and iterative research, critical analysis, and rigorous reflection, revision, and assessment as they journey through a self-designed, long-term activism, design or research project on the topic of their choosing.  Guided by a One Schoolhouse teacher, students pursue individual study/self-assessment or collaborative seminar/peer-review. Pathway options from which students choose include:
​
  • Spring Activism Seminar: In this seminar, students identify a need and create a plan to effect economic, environmental, political, or social change in a target community.  Utilizing a social science approach to research and evaluation, students are guided through the process of planning the deployment of a novel idea and identifying markers of success.  Students may create a strategic plan for a club or non-profit or design an artistic product in this seminar. 
  • Spring Design Seminar:  In this seminar, students design a technological solution to a real-world problem.  Through the engineering design process/scientific method, students gather and analyze data to determine the effectiveness of their model or the accuracy of their hypothesis.  Students may prototype and produce a public product in this seminar. 
  • Spring Research Seminar:  In this seminar, students answer a theoretical or ethical question.  Utilizing the social science/humanities tools for source evaluation, students collect, critique, and evaluate artifacts or primary source documents to explore their thesis.  Students may create a written or multimedia product in this seminar. 

Upon completion of their inquiry-driven project, students will have gained academic maturity and expanded their ability to engage in a diverse and changing world.  They will be able to draw and defend conclusions from theoretical underpinnings, contextual background, and mathematical analysis or source evaluation. Finally, they will have created and tested something useful of their own design or will be able to defend a position based on their own research. Check out the video below to hear from the facilitators and learn more about your seminar project!
COURSE APPROVAL
This course is approved by the NCAA. 

One Schoolhouse is fully accredited with the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges through December 1, 2025; we are an approved online publisher for the University of California. 
Leslee Frye
Social Sciences Teacher
BA University of Delaware
MS Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
EdS ​Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine